Southside honors a hero

Published: Saturday, January 13, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, January 13, 2007 at 7:07 a.m.

SOUTHSIDE - Friday, the 1986-87 Southside high school basketball team was honored.

During the ceremony at center court, Cal Riddle's presence was represented by his wife and two sons - April, Luke and Noah. Riddle died Dec. 30, 2006 after battling cancer for 18 months.

Aside from the team being honored, a special honor was bestowed upon Riddle and his family. His teammates had an idea to do something special for their leader on the court. Friday, between the girls' and boys' varsity games, Riddle's No. 24 jersey became only the second jersey to be retired in the school's history.

Two of Riddle's jerseys the team had framed were presented to Riddle's eight and 10-year-old sons while both sides of the gym stood and clapped in honor of Riddle's memory.

"The plan was for Cal to be here," Blake Hendrix said. Hendrix was a junior forward on Riddle's team. "We decided to go ahead with it. The school was all for it."

The third jersey will hang in the lobby of Southside's gym with Sean Henderson's No. 34 jersey.

Riddle belonged one of the

greatest - arguably the greatest - at Southside. The team went 25-6 for the season. They went undefeated in Etowah County, they were runners-up in the area and they were city champions.

The idea was for the presentation to be surprise for his family.

"We caught them off guard. That was the plan," boys' basketball coach Lee Vinson said. Vinson was an assistant coach for Southside during Riddle's basketball days.

"He's touched so many lives," Vinson added. "You don't retire a jersey unless someone's been a super human being. I was lucky to be a part of it."

Vinson also talked about the kind of player Riddle was.

"He was real gritty," he said. "He was like having an assistant coach on the floor. He was a big-time warrior."

After the presentation, April Riddle and her sons were surrounded by people offering congratulations and showing their support.

"It's an honor," April Riddle said. "He loved sports. It's an honor to be here in his memory."

After Riddle graduated in 1987, he attended Auburn University and graduated in 1992. He went on to coach several sports for 12 years at Dade County High School in Trenton, Ga. He then became the school's principal in 2004.

In the Friday's games, Southside's girls were defeated by Arab 56-21. Arab led 8-4 at the end of the first quarter but Arab's Alli Smalley played a big part in expanding the Knights' lead.

Smalley finished with 21 points.

The Panthers were led by Leshea Stokes' five points.

Southide's boys held off Arab's fourth-quarter rally to get a 63-56 win.

The Knights outscored the Panthers (8-14), 26-12, in the final quarter.

"We didn't take care of the ball like we should've at the end," Vinson said. "Daniel Maples and Mugsy Howard had the game of their lives."

<p>SOUTHSIDE - Friday, the 1986-87 Southside high school basketball team was honored.</p><p>During the ceremony at center court, Cal Riddle's presence was represented by his wife and two sons - April, Luke and Noah. Riddle died Dec. 30, 2006 after battling cancer for 18 months.</p><p>Aside from the team being honored, a special honor was bestowed upon Riddle and his family. His teammates had an idea to do something special for their leader on the court. Friday, between the girls' and boys' varsity games, Riddle's No. 24 jersey became only the second jersey to be retired in the school's history.</p><p>Two of Riddle's jerseys the team had framed were presented to Riddle's eight and 10-year-old sons while both sides of the gym stood and clapped in honor of Riddle's memory.</p><p>"The plan was for Cal to be here," Blake Hendrix said. Hendrix was a junior forward on Riddle's team. "We decided to go ahead with it. The school was all for it."</p><p>The third jersey will hang in the lobby of Southside's gym with Sean Henderson's No. 34 jersey.</p><p>Riddle belonged one of the</p><p>greatest - arguably the greatest - at Southside. The team went 25-6 for the season. They went undefeated in Etowah County, they were runners-up in the area and they were city champions.</p><p>The idea was for the presentation to be surprise for his family.</p><p>"We caught them off guard. That was the plan," boys' basketball coach Lee Vinson said. Vinson was an assistant coach for Southside during Riddle's basketball days.</p><p>"He's touched so many lives," Vinson added. "You don't retire a jersey unless someone's been a super human being. I was lucky to be a part of it."</p><p>Vinson also talked about the kind of player Riddle was.</p><p>"He was real gritty," he said. "He was like having an assistant coach on the floor. He was a big-time warrior."</p><p>After the presentation, April Riddle and her sons were surrounded by people offering congratulations and showing their support.</p><p>"It's an honor," April Riddle said. "He loved sports. It's an honor to be here in his memory."</p><p>After Riddle graduated in 1987, he attended Auburn University and graduated in 1992. He went on to coach several sports for 12 years at Dade County High School in Trenton, Ga. He then became the school's principal in 2004.</p><p>In the Friday's games, Southside's girls were defeated by Arab 56-21. Arab led 8-4 at the end of the first quarter but Arab's Alli Smalley played a big part in expanding the Knights' lead.</p><p>Smalley finished with 21 points.</p><p>The Panthers were led by Leshea Stokes' five points.</p><p>Southide's boys held off Arab's fourth-quarter rally to get a 63-56 win.</p><p>The Knights outscored the Panthers (8-14), 26-12, in the final quarter.</p><p>"We didn't take care of the ball like we should've at the end," Vinson said. "Daniel Maples and Mugsy Howard had the game of their lives."</p><p>Matt Banks led the Panthers with 22 points. Maples and Howard added 11 points and 10 points respectively.</p><p>Aaron Parish led the Knights with 12 points.</p><p>Southside next plays at home Tuesday against West End.</p>